Fling.AI incorporates the renowned DJI drones into its solutions to achieve the best results.
Innovation in the most boring industries?
It is more than clear to us nowadays that companies need to stay competitive to remain in business. So, how do they do that? Well, innovation is part of the answer, and oftentimes, the key player in driving the success and competitiveness in a company.
This is not a new idea to the world; however, it is certainly not a stranger to the industries of logistics and supply chain. Companies in said industries are characterized by having a well-defined set of competitive priorities that govern the decision-making. The competitive priorities in question are efficiency and productivity, agility and flexibility, and cost minimization.
Businesses around the world are constantly pressured to optimize their supply chain processes. For that, throughout history, numerous technologies have been developed and implemented that have pushed advancements in the efficiency of warehouses. For example, the automation of what were previously man-labor tasks, as well as the digitization of paperwork and data entry with WMS. Most recently, the integration of AI-run software systems has upgraded these stock-keeping facilities to a whole new level.
Although warehouses seem like they are all the same, from an outsider’s perspective, warehouses actually do indeed compete with one another, and they have initiatives to try to stand out in the homogenous-looking crowd. In fact, there exist ‘good’ warehouses and ‘bad’ warehouses, determined by factors such as efficiency, structure, smart technology, capacity, up-to-date, etc.
What is the problem?
Despite the impactful technological advancements in these industries, we have come to a point in time where warehouses are beginning to be outdated again; processes need to be redesigned, and new technology integrated. A new revolution in the logistics and supply chain industries needs to take place, and the first step towards it is accepting and embracing the need for change, innovation, and transformation.
Fortunately, we have already made efforts to progress and they have resulted in positive, quantifiable outcomes, proving the effectiveness of using such new technologies to improve warehouse management efficiency.
Meet the star — Drone safe your business
The star in today’s story is a drone — a warehouse’s new best friend. Drone technology is also not new to the world; however, its magic is yet to be discovered. Fling.AI, a startup leader in this field, is making history by combining AI and drone technology to offer IT services and solutions for warehouse companies across Asia.
What drones do at warehouses
Drone technology in a warehouse works in the following way: prior to flying the drone, the warehouse needs to be “prepared” for a drone to do the job. This entails, first, the installation of visible and clear-cut QR code stickers on each of the pallets of the warehouse. Although this can seem redundant at first, given that most warehouses already have their own tags — but most of the time, they are too small and/or damaged, and therefore, unreadable — it is an essential step. The drone must be able to detect them with clarity to subsequently record it in the software database. In return, this will facilitate and accelerate the smooth-running of later operations.
Once the set-up is complete, it is fly time. During this period, the drone will fly up and down, side to side, of the aisle and repeat this for every aisle in the warehouse. There are two types of inventory counts that a warehouse can perform: a wall-to-wall and a cycle count. The former consists of counting stock on a yearly or quarterly basis, while the latter one is more frequent; it is conducted daily or monthly. All of the data that the drone gathers while flying around the warehouse is transferred, processed, and analyzed in real time to produce insights for the warehouse company. AI comes into play at every step of the journey.
The million-dollar question
The million dollar question here is: Why should a warehouse adopt this technology? The answer is straightforward. If they want to compete in the market, they will need to have a unique value proposition to offer. Whether that has to do with quality storage, adaptability, time, price-competitiveness, accuracy, etc. The ability to do so will determine their position in the market — either industry leaders or just part of the flock.
In the case of Fling, warehouses have not only achieved greater accuracy in stock count, which consequently benefit their clients, but also faster data collection and analysis, cost-reduction, and a safer workspace. More in detail, warehouses have been able to cut their payroll by half, conduct their daily stock activities 20 times faster, and fully automated their inventory management operations. What used to last over two days and required 80+ personnel hands-on is now just a matter of five staff and six hours to complete the most crucial task for a warehouse business. Fling’s AI software and drones do it faster, more efficiently, and with higher accuracy. The magic does not stop there; it goes beyond counting pallets in an aisle. Fling also delivers up-to-date, AI-backed reports to warehouse managers, aiding in the internal managerial decision-making of the company.
Fling is helping warehouse companies win competitive advantage and succeed more than ever at what they are made to do: managing inventory. And that is exactly how a drone can save your business. Watch them do what they do best here: Fling.AI in action
On a last note
On a last note, the application of drones together with AI technology is not only restricted to warehousing activities. As a matter of fact, they have been introduced to other industries like farming and agriculture, security and safety, healthcare, energy and infrastructure, and even entertainment. The possibilities of a drone are infinite, and there are still many to discover. Its wonders are not a secret; it only takes one to try it and completely fall in love with it. I encourage you to see it for yourself.
Visit fling.solutions to learn more about how Fling.AI can help your business excel in warehouse management.
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